CEN/CLC/TC 1/WG 2 - Certification

ISO/IEC 17024:2012 contains principles and requirements for a body certifying persons against specific requirements, and includes the development and maintenance of a certification scheme for persons.

This document specifies general requirements that a third party operating a product certification system shall meet if it is to be recognized as competent and reliable. In this document the term certification body is used to cover any body operating a product certification system. The word product is used in its widest sense and includes processes and services; the word standard is used to include other normative documents, specifications or technical regulations.

ISO/IEC 17024:2003 specifies requirements for a body certifying persons against specific requirements, including the development and maintenance of a certification scheme for personnel.

This document specifies general requirements that a third party body operating quality system certification/registration shall meet, if it is to be recognized as competent and reliable in the operation of quality system certification/ registration. Note: In some countries, the bodies which verify conformity of quality systems to specified standards are called "certification bodies", in others "registration bodies", in others "assessment and registration bodies" or "certification/registration bodies", and in others still, "registrars".

This document sets out guidelines for a body to follow if it is to be recognized at a national or international level as competent and reliable, in assessing and subsequently accrediting certification bodies or registration bodies. Conformance to the requirements of this document will promote equivalence of national systems and facilitate agreements on mutual recognition of accreditations between such bodies.